Historical Castle of Van

The coastal city of Van in the province of the same name and western Turkey is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the region with several natural and historical attractions; but what attracts the most tourists to this place are the beautiful beaches of the lake and the historic castle or fortress of Van (in Turkish: Van Kalesi), which is several hundred thousand years old. Due to the fact that many websites have a lot to say about Lake Van, we try to make you more familiar with the historic castle of Van.

The coastal city of Van in the province of the same name and western Turkey is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the region with several natural and historical attractions; but what attracts the most tourists to this place are the beautiful beaches of the lake and the historic castle or fortress of Van (in Turkish: Van Kalesi), which is several hundred thousand years old. Due to the fact that many websites have a lot to say about Lake Van, we try to make you more familiar with the historic castle of Van.

Van Castle at a Glance

The castle, which is located 5 km away from the center of Van and on top of the mountains on the east coast of Van, overlooks Lake Van. Van Castle, dating back to the 7th to 9th centuries BC, is one of the most important tourist-historical attractions in Van. Today, the remains of this building indicate that it was built during the reign of the Urartu, at the beginning of the first millennium BC. Unfortunately, in the earthquake that occurred in 2011, most parts of the castle were destroyed, but despite this, you can still see and enjoy its beauty, splendor and overall structure.

Among the ruling governments of this region, which also controlled Van Castle, we can mention: the Medes, Achaemenids, Armenians, Parthians, Romans, Sassanids, Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuks, Safavids, Afshari, Ottomans and Russians.

The Purpose of Building the Historic Castle of Van

Van Castle, overlooking the old city of Tushpa, once the capital of the Urartu kings, owes much of its civilization and glory to its proximity to Lake Van. Also, being in a strategically important area, access to important resources for growth and prosperity, and many other factors, are among the things that led the rulers of this area to build Van Castle in order to protect their land and resist the onslaught of enemies.

The findings indicate that Van Castle was part of the Persian Empire during the reign of the: Medes, Achaemenids, Sassanids and Seljuks and was used for protection and surveillance. Van Castle was discovered in 2017 during a series of excavations and diving operations by one of the universities of Van called "Yüzüncü Yıl University" and

later became known as one of the main historical-tourist attractions of Van.

General Features of the Historic Van Castle

•        Although this structure has been under water for years, the height of its remaining walls is between 3 to 4 meters.

•        The materials used in the upper part of the castle are brick and in the lower part of the walls, basalt (without mortar).

•        There is an inscription attributed to Xerxes Shah on a rock 20 meters high from the ground in this castle, which is the only inscription belonging to the Achaemenid period outside the current borders of Iran.

Important Attractions and Architectural Features of the Van Castle

First of all, Van Castle, despite the damage caused by the 2011 earthquake, is still one of the biggest castles in the Anatolian region with many visitors. The fort, built on a 100-meter-high cliff near the east shore of Lake Van, is almost vertical on the south side, but has a slope on the north side that gradually increases. The south side of the castle leads to the city of "Tushpa".

In other words, the Castle is surrounded by various fortifications, such as trenches, walls and natural rocks, and has protected it from invaders for years. It is interesting to know that the architecture of Van Castle was not limited to these fortifications and other buildings inside it that belong to the era of the Urartus are: tombs of kings, open shelters and inscriptions carved on rocks and columns; other artifacts from later periods (such as the Ottoman rule), include the Süleyman Han Camii, as the city's first Islamic structure in one of the city's tallest parts.

History of Arg Van and Its Surroundings

Due to the fact that the areas around Lake Van are the most fertile part of the region, so throughout history, many civilizations have always been formed in this place and have left various traces, the most important of which is the Fort or Arg of Van. In this regard and according to all the measures taken, such as: excavations, underwater exploration operations, the study of artifacts, historical and archaeological research, etc., the beginning of any settlement and human activities, in the hill "Tilkitepe", was done near Van. This hill, which is located along the shores of Lake Van and a few kilometers south of the castle, is the main source of information obtained from the surrounding areas.

As a result, the oldest civilizations and cultures in the Van region date back to the pre-Urartu period, and the first settlement seems to have been in the area, in the late fourth to third millennium BC; other villages and small towns discovered in the vicinity of this area, which are related to Bronze Age, are called "Dilkaya" and "Karagündüz". With the beginning of the Iron Age in Anatolia and the rapid expansion of the Bünyanlı kingdom in the east of the region, which some attribute to the second half of the 9th century BC, it was later ruled by other tribes such as the Assyrians.

But what is certain is that the most important and main government in power in this region is the kingdom of Urartu with its capital Tushpa on the east shore of Lake Van; after the fall of this kingdom, Van entered a period of a decline very quickly. Later, around 735 to 714 BC, "Rusa I" invaded this place, but after its expansion, it was defeated by "Sargon II" near Lake Urmia. The last kingdom of the Uraturs (between 680 and 635 BC), with the implementation of some development projects, was able to have significant positive effects in this region and even build the great castle "Karmir Blur", near present-day Yerevan.

Achaemenid Rule Over the Urartu Region and the Inscription of Xerxes

With the Achaemenid domination of the areas ruled by the Urartians, Arg Van was abandoned during this period, but the name of the city of Tushpa was still remembered. Following this period, what caused the importance of Van Castle to be preserved even to this day, its proximity to Lake Van and the carving of an inscription at a height of 20 meters from the ground in the languages ​​of: Ancient Persian, Babylonian and Elamite, on the south side of the castle in cuneiform, is attributed to "Xerxes". This inscription, which was written during the time of "Darius the Great", was completed during the time of his son (Xerxes), and has the following content:

"Thanks to Ahuramazda, my father, "Darius Shah", was able to build worthy buildings and engrave an inscription in this place, but because of his death, I ordered this inscription to be engraved."

Time and Cost of Visiting the Historic Castle of Van

You can visit the historic Van Castle, which is also free, in summer: from 9 am to 7 pm and in winter: from 8 am to 5 pm. The nearest airport is "Van Ferit Melen Airport", 4.1 km away.

Address: Yalı Mahallesi, 65040 Merkez, İpekyolu, Van.

Attractions Around the lake and Van Castle

•        Old Van, 79 km away

•        Tushpa, 465 km away

•        Van Pier, 2.8 km away

•        Ulu Cami, 3.1 km away

Hotels Around Lake and Van Castle

•        One City Apart Hotel, 3.4 km away

•        The Conforium Hotel Van, 3.4 km away

•        Montana Hotel, 3.7 km away

•        Ronesans Life Hotel, 3.9 km away

Restaurants Around Lake and Van Castle

•        Asiyan Ev Yemekleri Restaurant, 1.7 km

•        Yakamoz Restaurant, 1.9 km away

•        Et Lokantasi Restaurant, 2.1 km away

•        Marti Restaurant, 2.8 km away